136-year-old shipwreck found in Georgian Bay-- and bodies may be on board

Georgian Bay is a large inlet off of Lake Huron.



This past summer the wreckage of the Jane Miller was found.

The wreck of a steamship that went down in Georgian Bay during a storm 136 years ago has been found, with what could be human remains onboard.

American shipwreck hunters Jared Daniels, Jerry Eliason and Ken Merryman revealed their summer discovery to coincide with the anniversary of the Jane Miller’s sinking Nov. 25, 1881.

The 24-metre package and passenger steamer went down with 25 people aboard, including the crew.

The wreck was found in Colpoys Bay, an inlet of Georgian Bay leading to Wiarton on the east side of the Bruce Peninsula north of Owen Sound in Georgian Bay.

*snip*

The Jane Miller was launched in 1879 on Manitoulin Island. Cameron wrote a story about the ship, available on his website at steamboatstories.ca.

The coastal steamer ran between Collingwood and Manitoulin with stops along the way, taking on passengers, farm goods and other freight.

torontosun.com...

I guess they were caught by the "gales of November". Oops. Wrong Great Lake.

They also think they have found the remains of some of those that went down with her.

The ship mostly is structurally intact with its mast still standing, rising within 23 metres of the surface. The shipwreck hunters also reported spotting what could be remains of bodies.

*snip*

Their Ontario permit didn’t allow the hunters to enter the wreck, but they saw what could be bodies.

In a post at scubaboard.com, Daniel said he made out 16 bodies in different parts of the ship, while Merryman said identification was difficult because of mussel encrustation.

“I kind of suspected we might see human remains, and maybe we did, but it was hard to tell from the zebra mussels,” said Merryman. “It is hard to say.”

It's an interesting story and one I'm curious to see played out. One would think that human bodies couldn't last that long anywhere really. At the very least a picture of life in late 19Th century Great Lakes area will be show to us.

That is crazy I would think lake critters would have reduced and scattered the bits of any remains by now, though it would be very interesting if they do find remains, should really open a window into what happened.

a reply to: intrepid


The difference between salt water and freshwater shipwrecks is amazing.
Salt just destroys everything.
They still salvage old timber from the Great Lakes.

a reply to: intrepid
The wood looks in really great shape after all this time.

a reply to: butcherguy

Did you notice the zebra mussels?
Invasive damn things

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: butcherguy

Did you notice the zebra mussels?
Invasive damn things

Yes, I was thinking if those things were good to eat, we might make them extinct.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: butcherguy

Did you notice the zebra mussels?
Invasive damn things

We are fighting them down here in Texas, too. ''CLean, drain, dry your boat"

Ill be interested to see what the study of the corpses has to say. Thats a pretty interesting (and fairly contemporary) find.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: butcherguy

Did you notice the zebra mussels?
Invasive damn things

We are fighting them down here in Texas, too. ''CLean, drain, dry your boat"

Ill be interested to see what the study of the corpses has to say. Thats a pretty interesting (and fairly contemporary) find.

Did you know that zebra mussels are from Russia?

I was just reading up on them.

a reply to: butcherguy

Its a vast Russian conspiracy to subvert our maritime system

a reply to: butcherguy

In Russia, mussels eat you....
Said in my best Russian accent.

originally posted by: butcherguy

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: butcherguy

Did you notice the zebra mussels?
Invasive damn things

We are fighting them down here in Texas, too. ''CLean, drain, dry your boat"

Ill be interested to see what the study of the corpses has to say. Thats a pretty interesting (and fairly contemporary) find.

Did you know that zebra mussels are from Russia?

I was just reading up on them.

This is why we want to close off the Chicago shipping canal so badly. We don't need Asian carp added to our problems.

Now that Obama is out of office, I'm hopeful we can finally see that happen.

a reply to: Bluntone22

I had a customer once who did their family room in reclaimed river wood. The colors were so soft, so pretty. It was white oak that had been under a river for over a hundred years. Harvested by a mill in the piedmont just west of here and hand finished it was over $45.00 a sq. ft. Just georgous. Anyway...
The great lakes have many wrecks. If they were ever drained what treasure it would yield.
So this was a passenger ship which brings to mind the families whos loved ones were lost. How the event affected the area. The town mourning the loss. News paper stories.
I guess these bays are shallower than the lakes which are very very deep in some places. there are wrecks that will never be found in the canyons.

a reply to: intrepid

I thought of the Edmund Fitzgerald as soon as I was this too.

originally posted by: Sillyolme

I guess these bays are shallower than the lakes which are very very deep in some places. there are wrecks that will never be found in the canyons.

I've attempted to swim in Huron. It takes forever to get far enough out to a swimming depth. It's a big lake though.

originally posted by: intrepid

originally posted by: Sillyolme

I guess these bays are shallower than the lakes which are very very deep in some places. there are wrecks that will never be found in the canyons.

I've attempted to swim in Huron. It takes forever to get far enough out to a swimming depth. It's a big lake though.

Depends where you are...Sauble Beach, yes, but up on the rock...nope. It can get real deep real quick. That area is real popular for divers. If I recall, they even have an underwater provincial park.
Nice grab...S&F4U!
Quick edit to add that the wreck is considered a marine archaeological site and that's why the divers could not proceed 'aboard'.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: intrepid


The difference between salt water and freshwater shipwrecks is amazing.
Salt just destroys everything.
They still salvage old timber from the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes are clinically dead due to all the mercury and other heavy elements that the wood processing industry uses. They chemically treat the logs so they wouldn't rot while being transported downriver. With all that silt, clay and pollution, the wood won't rot.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: intrepid


The difference between salt water and freshwater shipwrecks is amazing.
Salt just destroys everything.
They still salvage old timber from the Great Lakes.

It's not the salt, it's all of the little critters that live in the sea that consum organic materials.

originally posted by: stormcell
With all that silt, clay and pollution, the wood won't rot.

Some of the lakes are also deep and cold, creating an anaerobic environment that suppresses rot. And I'd submit that clinically dead is hyperbole. There areas where you are discouraged from eating the fish...but there's plenty of fish!

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck

originally posted by: stormcell
With all that silt, clay and pollution, the wood won't rot.

Some of the lakes are also deep and cold, creating an anaerobic environment that suppresses rot. And I'd submit that clinically dead is hyperbole. There areas where you are discouraged from eating the fish...but there's plenty of fish!

Yes, I read a report on the zebra mussels yesterday that stated that salmon are healthier today and part of the reason traces to the mussels. The mussels are filter feeders that clean silt out of the water. The clearer water allows easier access to the tiny shrimp that fish called alewives feed on. This leads to more and fatter alewives for salmon to feed on, giving us healthier and fatter salmon stock.
It said that perch have started to feed on the zebra mussels themselves.